The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Review by Scott Logan

I went and saw The Hobbit on my 30th birthday, with an ex. Probably says a lot about my level of emotional development.The movie was very good. Amazing, heart warming, and uplifting. Not as good as The Lord of the Rings, but a more easy going and fun experience, much like the books themselves. I think the book should have logically been turned into just one movie, as the LOTRs were. I was a bit disappointed I would have to wait to see the fight with Smaug. I'm not actually against multiple movies for it, however, as I loved ever minute of it and am happy there will be 6 hours to watch and not just three. Would have been nice to have it now and not have to pay for another movie ticket, however.

All the acting was superb. Ian McKellan does a great continuation of the Gandalf character, even if it is a little disconcerting that Gandalf looks older than he does decades later in the LOTR. The surprise cameos of Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, and Cate Blanchette were all pleasant re-acquaintances. I knew logicality those characters were in the book, but I still didn't really think about the actors reprising the roles. Was so very glad they did. Martin Freeman's role as Bilbo was wonderfully and comically done. He plays the reluctant hero very well, as we all learned in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I think the breakthrough performance was Richard Armitage's Thorin. You keenly feel his pain and courage and determination. It makes you want to go out and do something epic. The dwarve's displacement in the story is a heart tugging allusion to anyone made homeless by war or disaster.

The effects were superb, but this is a LOTR movie, after all. But, even with it being expected, it is still breath taking. The sense of adventure and grandeur is perhaps even bigger than LOTR, though this movie doesn't have anything as epic as the mass battle scenes in those. Sometimes during the frantically fast action scenes it can be easy to get lost whats going on at the moment, but it also gives a sense f really being there.

The story and dialog are well done. Gripping and exciting and humor filled. Every Tolkien fan should absolutely see this movie.So should anyone who likes fantasy, or just good movies period.

Action:7 Suspencse: 6 Acting: 9 Dialog: 8 Story: 8 Humor: 6 Adventure: 10 Uplifting: 8 Overall: 8

Director: Peter Jackson

Writers: Fran Walsh, Phillip Boyens